Hugo woman celebrates 109th birthday

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LINCOLN COUNTY, Colo. -- A Hugo woman celebrated her 109th birthday over the weekend, all the while recalling some special moments during her long life.

Hazel Eikermann, 109, was born and raised in Kansas. Aside from a mother and father who loved her dearly, Hazel also had ten siblings.

Hazel 'Belle' (at the time) was born on December 11, 1907. Decades later, she would marry her best friend, Leo Eikermann, in Leoti, Kansas in 1933.

"I met him at my home," Hazel said of her husband. "My husband had a wheat field out here and we came out here to harvest".

That wheat field was near Flagler, Colorado (where Hazel spent a good chunk of her life). Years later, she would move to Fort Collins and then the metro-Denver area, before returning to the Eastern Plains.

Hazel has resided in Hugo at the care center at Lincoln County Community Hospital since 2013.

"Every day is a Hazel Day here at Lincoln Community," said Shelley Cochran, the Director of Nursing at the center. "We love her! She will make you smile every day of the week."

At 109, Hazel isn't slowing down. Cochran said she can still move around by herself and partially care for herself.

So... what's the secret to living a long life? According to Hazel, it's simple: just be nice.